A Living Will Attorney in San Dimas, California

In San Dimas, California a living will, also recognized as a "healthcare directive" is a document which lays out instructions for your family and your doctor concerning healthcare matters should you become so ill that you are unable to make or express such decisions.

A living will might prove essential in heading off painful and time-consuming disputes among family members. If your family has no clue as to how you would want a given situation to be handled, it's up to them to guess. Obviously, this can lead to severe disagreements. If family members know in advance what the patient wants, these disputes are far less likely.

For instance, some people would not want to be kept on life support if they are terminally ill, and have no reasonable chance at recovery. Others might want to be kept alive as long as medically possible. If your family doesn't know what you would prefer, they might have to guess. Obviously, this can lead to severe disagreements, considering how emotional and final this decision is- there is no way to compromise between the two positions (a person can be kept on life support, or taken off of it; there isn't really any middle ground.).

If a person's preferences aren't known by his or her family, they might have to make an educated guess. Of course, with limited information, it's completely possible for 2 family members to come to two completely different conclusions, with no way of knowing which one is correct. Making your wishes known in advance can help you avoid all this.

How to Create A Living Will in San Dimas, California

Before starting the process, you should make your wishes extremely clear to your family. If your family is aware of your wishes well in advance, it will probably be much easier for them to accept the provisions in your living will, even if they don't agree with them.

You should then go about drafting the will. This should almost always be done with the assistance of a San Dimas, California attorney who specializes in these matters.

Living wills often have to follow the same formalities as regular wills (the ones that distribute a person's property after their death).

In general, wills of any type (testamentary or living) have to be signed by 2 people who witnessed it being signed by the person who the will is for. They must also contain a clear provision saying what they really are (so there can be no confusion as to whether or not a particular document was intended to be a will).

Do I Need A San Dimas, California Living Will Attorney?

While it's not strictly required, it can be very helpful to have the counsel of an accomplished San Dimas, California attorney. A brilliant lawyer will help you navigate the local laws on this subject, making it much easier for your wishes to be implemented.

Living Will Attorneys in the Largest CA Cities

Life in San Dimas

San Dimas, California is a city in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County. It has a population of about 36,000 people, as of a 2004 Census estimate. San Dimas is a mostly-residential suburb of Los Angeles, and many people who live in San Dimas work in LA.

San Dimas, and much of what is now considered the greater Los Angeles area, was originally populated by the Tongva tribe of Native Americans. The first Europeans to explore and colonize the area were Spanish missionaries, who set up Mission San Gabriel in the 1700s.

When the Santa Fe railroad arrived in San Dimas in 1887, the natural mud springs of the area were mapped. During this time period, modern medicine was still in its infancy, and water available in the rapidly-growing cities of America was often polluted and unsafe to drink. This led to many small towns which had natural springs of drinkable water to market themselves as health resorts. San Dimas was one of those cities, and health tourism by wealthy visitors played a big role in the early development of its economy.

Modernly, San Dimas' economy is largely driven by the huge city of Los Angeles.

If you live in San Dimas, California, and need an attorney, you're in luck. Thanks to its presence in a major metropolitan area, and relatively affluent clientele, San Dimas, California lawyers are well-equipped to handle a wide range of legal problems. If you need legal services, a San Dimas, California lawyer is the person to call.